I've just gotten a new machine, apologies if it is lieing to me about how these messages are going out!
> > The effect of magic on the battlefield is something that has been hotly
> > debated. IMO, especially given the HW context, it makes Gloranthan
warfare
> > look superficially like warfare from ancient or medieval times but in
> > reality it changes the tactical equation enormously.
Most of the Magical effort happens before the battle (there are benefits to spending a week or a month in your preliminary rituals!) so a lot of the "tactics" of magic are guessing what the enemy will do, and plan accordingly. Even so, I'm sure that there are generals or commanders who "hold back" on committing their magic, and wait for the right time to have a special unit perform a quick ritual for a short term (maybe an hour, maybe less) effect. This allows flexibility on the battlefield - the Solar Hoplites and Phalanxes probably spend a week or a month getting their magical support together and it lasts for the whole campaign (probably things like "Keep Formation" rituals, rather than "FireSpear"), while a skirmish formation may keep their options open until the day of the battle, or even during the battle itself.
> Personally, I think it by and large acts to confirm all our worst
> prejudices, not to dispell them. ;-) To wit, the magic reinforces
> the 'mundane' reality, and the mundane reality reinforces the magic.
> (This is my personal philosophy on this topic in general, as it's
> come up more recently put in other terms. To wit, it's a chicken and
> egg question, basically.)
Since Formation, Discipline and Bravery are all considered "Magical" even today, I tend to agree with you somewhat - there still is a place for the 11th Orlanthi Bombing Wing and the FireSpear Brigade. Most units can only do one "thing" at a time as far as magic goes, so they have to pick their time and magic (they mght have several rituals to chose from, they can only perform one, so do you want the Run Really Fast, the Hit really Hard feat, the Fly like the Wind, or the Throw Thunderbolts feat? Once you chose, it is really hard to change your mind!).
>
> If the magic is incompatible with our preconceived (or tried and tested)
> 'analogues' (like Sandy's infamous Lunar Captain in camo-gear), then one
> of them needs to be rethought. (Which in this case isn't to eliminate
> Thunderbolt, etc, but just to note that the rituals and appearance
> of Leadership are more important than Minor Niggles about personal
> safety -- thanks for helping me get that one straightin my bonce,
> Martin.) I confess my bias is to inflict the rethinking on the
> former, at least if the risk in the other case gets to the point of
> moving from Plausible Historical Analogue to Coid Fantasy...
Most Warfare magic in Glorantha works at the Unit (Phalanx/Warband/Tribe/Legion/whatever) level, as opposed to the personal. Sure, there are "commando" groups of a few buff adventurer types, and they have their own magics, but most Hero Cults need 500 or so worshippers to provide the magic.
> Where it _does_ make a big difference is where non-traditional-enemies
> clash, or when some bright spark comes up with some brilliant new mythic
> or magical organisational wheeze. Suddenly, the enemy is doing
> something Bizarre and Disturbing, and it might potentially be utterly
> devastating to your time-honoured tactics.
Case in point - The Poralistor River story in the Entekosiad (Page 50): The Porals (sons of a River God) wanted to conquer, and the Earthshakers wanted to stop them. The Porals enlisted the aid of Storm Gods. Since the Earth folk were ready to fight the Water folk, they were taken blindside by the arrival of the Raging Storm, and were defeated even though Earth normally defeats Air.
> > This issue has still to be resolved, although Roderick is doubtless
> > working on it and will come up with a cool and useful answer.
>
> Hope you rise to this billing (challenge?), RR!
Cool enough?
RR
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